The post-holiday season can be a frustrating time for serious lifters as once roomy gyms are suddenly swamped with "resolutioners" committed to spending at least the first week of the new year transforming their physiques.

Instead of waiting in line for a dozen machines, barbells, and dumbbells, follow these training guidelines so you can use fewer pieces of equipment, but use them more intensely.

These methods are not some half-assed, uncommitted, save-time workouts. They're hardcore, designed for people who want to gain size, strength, and testicular fortitude—regardless of gender.

Training Method 1: Rest-Pause Drop

This first method has you doing lots of fast mini-sets. Start with a thorough warm-up, then get to your first exercise and choose a weight you can lift for 6-10 reps before hitting failure. Take your first set to failure, then rest 20 seconds. Do your second set to failure, and rest another 20 seconds.

Do one more set to failure, then immediately reduce the weight by 20-30 percent and repeat the exact same sequence of 3 sets with 20 seconds of rest. You'll end up with a total of 6 mini-sets that you get done in minimal time but with maximum intensity.

Let's say you do 6-10 machine curls at 80 pounds. Your Rest-Pause Drop workout will look something like this:

• Mini-set 1: 80 lbs. for 8 reps
• Rest 20 sec.
• Mini-set 2: 80 lbs. for 4 reps
• Rest 20 sec.
• Mini-set 3: 80 lbs. for 3 reps
• Rest 20 sec.
• Mini-set 4: 60 lbs. for 8 reps
• Rest 20 sec.
• Mini-set 5: 60 lbs. for 5 reps
• Rest 20 sec.
• Mini-set 6: 80 lbs. for 3 reps

Use this fast, mini-set version throughout this workout:

Sample "Rest-Pause Drop" Arm Workout

• Close-grip barbell bench press
• Dumbbell prone incline curl
• Dumbbell floor press
• Machine preacher curl
• Triceps push-down

Sample "Rest-Pause Drop" Chest and Back Workout

• Straight-arm pull-down
• Incline cable fly
• Dumbbell incline row
• Incline press
• Barbell incline bench press
• Seated cable row
• Dip (chest version)

Sample "Rest-Pause Drop" Leg and Shoulder Workout

• Barbell squat
• Reverse fly (perform on flat bench)
• Lying leg curl
• Leverage shoulder press
• Bodyweight squat (perform with weighted belt and raised heels)
• Machine lateral raise

Training Method 2: Time Under Tension (TUT) Workout

With this method, instead of measuring your sets in terms of reps, you're going to see how many you can do in a limited amount of time, doing 2-3 exercises per body part. Starting with a weight you can use for 8-12 reps, perform each set for 30 seconds in the first week. After each set, reduce the weight by approximately 25 percent. Do three sets of each exercise.

Increase lifting time by 5 seconds every week. As with the Rest-Pause Drop technique, stay with that one piece of equipment for about 5 minutes as you go through all 3 sets.

Let's use dumbbell overhead presses as an example. Say you can do 8-12 reps with 100 pounds. Your TUT workout will look something like this:

Week 1:

Set 1: As many reps as possible in 30 sec. at 100 lbs.

Set 2: As many reps as possible in 30 sec. at 75 lbs.

Set 3: As many reps as possible in 30 sec. at 55 lbs.

Week 2:

Set 1: As many reps as possible in 35 sec. at 100 lbs.

Set 2: As many reps as possible in 35 sec. at 75 lbs.

Set 3: As many reps as possible in 35 sec. at 55 lbs.

Week 3:

Set 1: As many reps as possible in 40 sec. at 100 lbs.

Set 2: As many reps as possible in 40 sec. at 75 lbs.

Set 3: As many reps as possible in 40 sec. at 55 lbs.

Week 4:

Set 1: As many reps as possible in 45 sec. at 100 lbs.

Set 2: As many reps as possible in 45 sec. at 75 lbs.

Set 3: As many reps as possible in 45 sec. at 55 lbs.

Sample TUT Shoulders and Triceps Workout

• Seated dumbbell press
• Dumbbell lying rear lateral raise (use only partial range of motion)
• Machine lateral raise
• Smith machine close-grip bench press
• Machine dip
• Lying dumbbell triceps extension

Sample TUT Legs and Biceps Workout

• Hack squat
• Chin-up
• Lying leg curl
• Incline hammer curl
• Backward drag
• Machine preacher curl

Sample TUT Chest and Back Workout

• Dumbbell bench press
• Neutral-grip pull-up
• Hammer-grip incline dumbbell bench press
• Leverage Iso row
• Cable cross-over
• Straight-arm pull-down

Training Method 3: Cluster Sets

Perfect for the crowded commercial gym, cluster sets enable you to lift more total weight than you could with straight reps, providing a greater anabolic stimulus. It all comes down to breaking main sets into several parts. For example, instead of doing a set of 9 straight reps, do a set of 3 reps, three times, with two 15-second rest periods within the set. These short rest intervals maximize metabolic stress for greater muscle growth.

How to Perform Cluster Sets

Pick a weight you can lift for 10-15 reps. Lift the weight for 5 reps, rest 15 seconds, and repeat the sequence. Do this for 5 minutes straight. If you can no longer do 5 reps, drop it to 4 reps; if you can no longer do 4 reps, continue with 3 reps. If doing 3 reps becomes unmanageable, lengthen the rest interval to 20 seconds. When that becomes too much, stop the set and move on to the next exercise. On the last set, if you have any gas left in the tank, take that set for as many reps as possible.

Sample "Cluster" Chest Workout

• Leverage incline chest press
• Dip (chest version)
• Push-up
• Cable cross-over

Sample "Cluster" Leg Workout

• Lying leg curl
• Romanian deadlift
• Hack squat
• Bodyweight walking lunge

Sample "Cluster" Back Workout

• Rack pull (perform on Smith machine if possible)
• Chin-up
• Pull-up
• Leverage Iso row
• Straight-arm pull-down

Sample "Cluster" Shoulder Workout

• Machine lateral raise
• Cable rear-delt fly
• Leverage shoulder press
• Dumbbell lying rear lateral raise (perform through partial range of motion)

Sample "Cluster" Arm Workout

• Smith machine close-grip bench press
• Reverse barbell curl
• Lying dumbbell triceps extension
• Machine preacher curl
• Dip machine
• Incline dumbbell curl